Leading Narnia
by Princess Alethea
Summary: The Golden Age has ended, the Kings and Queens have vanished and the Telmarines have threatened invasion. When Narnia most needs a human from Earth, Aslan instead gives them Adalia, an orphan girl from Archenland with an unknown past. Can she save Narnia?
1. The End of the Golden Age

My name is Adalia.

I was born in the Wild Land of the North and raised in the court of Archenland. I have no father and no mother. A travelling maid found me and my mother and took pity on me. She took me from my mother with the promise I would receive a better life. She then took me to Archenland and raised me until I was six. She trained me from an early age to be a lady's maid. Then she died, and I was once more alone. No one in Archenland wanted me and yet they would not cast me out, as it was against their humanist principals. So I was instead given to the stable keepers to be trained as a stable hand. Within the year I could ride any horse I found, bareback if necessary. I could calm all manner of beasts. And thanks to my playmates and friends, the stable boys who worked around me, soon I was also skilled in arm to arm combat and swordplay.

I did not mention, I was born into a time of great peace. Some already have begun to call in the Golden Age, and indeed it was. But, it is past. Yes, I was born in the time of the great Kings and Queens of Narnia, but when I was three years old, they vanished and never returned.

For a time, things continued on as normal. Narnia, the neighbouring land to Archenland governed itself. As I grew older though, whisperings echoed through the court. It was said that Narnia was never truly alright unless there was a human on its throne. The rulings of the famed Talking Beats I had never met were not enough.

My story begins when I turn sixteen, a few months before the Telmarines invaded Narnia. It was the beginning of the end.


	2. Sixteen

"Lia! Prepare Her Majesty's horse!"

This was how I was woken most mornings. The royal family of Archenland does choose bizarre times to go out riding. When I say 'royal family' I refer to the King and Queen of Archenland, their son, the crown prince, and their two twin daughters. His Majesty King Cor grew up in Carlormen, and after a great adventure that has been told many times and I do not have the time to repeat, he returned home to Archenland. Here he was reunited with his father, twin brother Cor and took his place as heir to the throne. On his journey he not only met three of the great Kings and Queens but he also met Her Majesty Queen Aravis. Aravis is Carlomene born and bred and nobility in her own right. She fled from an arranged marriage and joined Cor on his journey home. Even in her older age she is still beautiful, with pale brown skin and long dark hair.

And this particular morning, it was Queen Aravis who wished to go riding.

I prepared her horse, a pedigree mare with hair the same colour as the Queen. The Queen had once ridden a talking horse named Hwin, but Hwin had returned to her homeland of Narnia and it was more than possible that she had already passed away from old age.

"And you can tell His Majesty that I won't be joining him for breakfast!"

I smiled. It appeared that the King and Queen were having another one of their fights. These rows were almost daily occurrences and were always resolved within hours. The Queen arrived followed by a maid. I stared for a moment at the maid, who was wearing a plain but still ornately decorated dress. The maid held herself high and her hair cascaded down her back in perfect golden ringlets.

_That's what I was meant to be, _I thought. _A lady in waiting._

I didn't know whether to feel jealous or relieved. It was only then I remembered who I was in the presence of.

"Your Majesty," I said, attempting a curtsey. The Queen still looked furious but she took a deep breath and composed herself.

"Good morning. Thank you for preparing my horse." She removed her coat and crown and handed it to the maid, who then demonstrated a curtsey that put mine to deepest shame before departing. I held the reigns while the Queen swung herself gracefully up onto her horse.

"I've seen you many times before, haven't I? Tell me child, how long have you worked in the stables?"

"Almost ten years, Ma'am."

"And how old are you?"

"Fifteen," I replied, and then a new thought struck me. Today was the first day of spring, as I knew there was to be a large feast. I smiled broadly. "Forgive me Ma'am, today I am sixteen."

The Queen nodded. "Ten years?" she echoed. She studied me, and I felt very uncomfortable in my breeches and dirty linen shirt, with my hair pulled back into a bun. "Are you a native of Archenland?"

"No, Ma'am." I had been asked this several times before. I did not have the blonde hair, light eyes and delicate features of the Archenlanders. "I was born in – in the Wild Lands to the North," I continued, wincing slightly at the mention of my barbaric birthplace, "but I do not know of what nationality I am. I am an orphan."

The Queen was once more lost in thought. "I know what it is like to be an outsider and to not have parents. It is true that I left mine, but they never once showed me the love a parent should. And now here you are, alone on your birthday."

"Oh no, Your Majesty, I have friends who are also stable hands and –"

"Join us for the Spring Feast today at noon as my guest."

My mouth opened. "I'm sorry?"

"Are you deaf girl? I said; join us for the Spring Feast. I'll have a dress found and you shall have a birthday to remember."

I was lost for words, and the Queen was already beginning to ride away. I released the reigns and managed to call "Thank you Your Majesty!" and attempt another ridiculous curtsey.

"_You're_ going to the _Spring Feast_?"

I spun around and stared my friend and fellow stable hand down. "Well Taro, it seems I am."

"Could you show me that curtsey one more time? So I can commit to memory and think of it whenever I need to laugh?"

"Oh be quiet."

Eighteen years of age, with his blonde hair pulled back in a short ponytail, Taro wasn't knowledgeably about many things, but when it came to witty comebacks, he excelled.

"Or perhaps I should bow to you? Seeing as your practically a lady and everything now..."

"She's a what?"

From within the small dormitory attatched to the stables emerged the remainder of the stable boys, ranging in age from ten through to twenty. Flinn lead the pack and it was of course he who had asked the question.

"Queen Aravis just invited Lia to the Spring Feast."

Flinn laughed, a deep mellow laugh and his eyes twinkled micheviously. "Lia? At a feast? She wouldn't even know what to do with a knife and fork."

The heat rose in my cheeks. I did know what to do with a knife and fork. In fact, I was more of a lady then I had ever let on before. Delilah, the old maid who had rescued me had taught me many things in my first six years. And I had not forgotten a single one of them. Save how to execute a proper curtsey.

"Hold your tongue, Flinn."

"Or what? You know what, lads; I bet they'll mistake her for a Narnian Talking Beast."

One thing Delilah didn't teach me was how to control my temper. And I had a very short fuse. So, I did something that in hindsight was possibly quite dense: I struck out at Flinn. The other boys moved back and Finn and I circled each other. I could fight, but I was not built for it. I was long and lean and sometimes uncoordinated. Whatever strength I had was easily beaten by Flinn, nineteen, and a fully grown man.

Half an hour later, I was bruised tired and beaten. Flinn had won, but only just. He had used a cheap trick by feigning exhaustion, waiting for me to give him respite before he knocked my legs out from underneath me and pinned me to the ground. One of these days I'd have him. The intensity of the battle made me forget why it had even started. An hour later the Queen returned from her ride and ordered me to accompany her into the castle and it all came crashing back. As we walked she quizzed me further on my life.

"So you were born in the Wild Lands?"

"Yes Your Majesty."

"And you never knew your parents?"

"No Ma'am. They could actually still be alive but it is unlikely I will ever meet them. I never knew my father and my mother gave me to Delilah when I was only a few weeks old, in the hopes I would have a better life. She took me here, to Archenland. We would visit Narnia often too. Delilah died when I was six."

"Deliliah. I remember her. She was a maid, wasn't she? And an excellent cook."

"The best, Ma'am."

The Queen took me right to her private chambers. Inside, two lady's in waiting were cleaning.

"Rose! Sara! Please find this girl a dress. Something that suits her figure and eyes."

I was standing by the Queen's side, taking in her bedroom. The bed itself was amazing vast and was enveloped by curtains. There were stars painted on the ceiling and in a corner there was a magnificent shrine. I studied it, but could not discern who the god being honoured was. Perhaps it was Calormene. Never before had I seen such wealth and finery. To think it was just a mere bedroom where a person did nothing but sleep. Surely the Queen didn't need all this? Just a comfortable but simple bed would suffice, and the excess wealth could be spent on her subjects. I wondered what it would be like to be noble. Did the nobility ever think about the common people, ever want to help them? Did they wake up every morning and feel awed and thankful of the wealth that surrounded them or did they not even notice it anymore?

I was in half a mind to say these things to the Queen, but quickly decided I shouldn't dare, especially as she was being so kind to me on my birthday.

Lady Rose and Lady Sara returned and not only found me a dress, but dressed me too and fixed my hair. It felt odd to have someone do something for me I could have easily done myself. I was then told to breathe in and hold my breath. I did as commanded and Rose pulled hard on the laces of my upper garment and stars danced before my eyes. Everything darkened and suddenly I saw a man in fron of me and hear music playing. The man smiled, bowed, then offered me his hand. I felt Rose pull again and the man faded and was replaced by two women who were in the garden near an apple tree. The younger one laughed while the other smiled in return and ran a comb through her hair.

There was something strangely familiar about them...

And, just as quickly as the vision had come, it vanished and the Queen's room came back into focus.

"There," said Queen Aravis, "you are finished. Would you like to see?"

I nodded and the Queen guided me over to her mirror. I stared, dumbfounded. The girl in the mirror was not someone I recognised. Her eyes were lined with black, her lips were red and her hair was combed. Most astonishingly of all, she was wearing a dress. But it was me, just presented in a way I had never seen. However, I also looked very similar to another, someone I had just seen.

"You know," the Queen said thoughtfully, "you remind me a lot of Queen Lucy."

**NB: I answer every review, I name characters after reviewers and I love hearing predictions. As in, reviewers are my life, my imagination and my friends. So if you like what you read even a simple 'great!' will suffice. Next chapter by Tuesday. **


	3. They Will Never Return

I was at the Spring Feast and I honestly could not believe my eyes. I tugged nervously at my midnight blue dress and adjusted my silver necklace and neatly combed hair. The Queen and I had entered several minutes ago, but I was still standing frozen at the doorway. The hall was enormous with a ceiling that could have scraped the sky. There was one long table on which food was placed, delicious, sweet-smelling food. I wondered how much was eaten and how much was wasted, but decided not to let it trouble me.

There were hundreds of people in all styles of clothing and of all nationalities. I recognised several as Calormene, from their dark skin, as well as a fair number of Telmarines. To one side, a group of instrumentalists was setting up, ready to play. Out of nowhere, a young man appeared before me, smiling. I blinked, several times. He was the same man from my vision.

"Hello. I haven't seen you before. What is your name?"

I opened my mouth to tell him of my status and job, but thought better of it. Where was the fun it that? Besides, he had only asked for my name.

"Adalia," I replied.

The gentleman smiled, bowed and offered his hand, just as I had seen him do before. It was all so confusing, but it was what he said that frightened me the most. "Lady Adalia, would you care to dance?"

Dumbfounded, I instantly had several answers in mind. _I don't dance, I'm not a lady, I'm an orphan of no rank, people will laugh at me._ Instead I found myself returning his smile and replying with, "I'd love to."

He led me out into the middle of the floor just as the music began to play. It was my good fortune that the dance was a call and response, that is, the male partner executed moves and then the female repeated it. My heart raced and I blushed many times at the weakness of my moves. At one stage I actually tripped but the gentleman stepped forward and caught me and guided me in a graceful circle. I seethed for a moment at being treated as the helpless damsel but the feeling quickly faded as I was swept away in the moment. The music ended with a long note and the man bowed once more, thanked me for the dance and departed. I walked to the table to get myself some water and the Queen came to my side. I curtseyed, winced, and said "You Majesty."

"Are you enjoying yourself, child?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"I see my son is enjoying himself too."

"You son is here?" I had only ever seen Crown Prince Ram once, many years ago at a distance. I looked around, searching for a man wearing a crown.

The Queen gave me an odd look. "Of course he is here. You just danced with him."

My heart skipped a beat. A prince dancing with the stable girl? Surely there had to be some rule against that. "Oh Your Majesty, I am so sorry, I didn't –"

"Don't apologise girl. My son is quite the – womaniser. See, he is now dancing with the Countess from Calormene."

I looked in the direction the Queen was gesturing and sure enough, the Prince was now dancing with a dark haired, heavily made up Carlormene girl. I studied him for a moment. Had I felt anything? That flush of heat, the spark of a connection?

No. The Prince did not hold any charm for me.

I bowed to the queen and made for the tables laden with food. True, as a stable hand I had never starved, but I had never known the feeling of being contently full either. I sampled a small amount of everything I could lay my hands. I in between samplings I talked with an array of nobility, none of whom even contemplated my rank. I wished that the feast could go on forever.

As I danced a few more dances with various Archenland lords, I did pick up on the abnormal levels of tension in the room. It seemed that all was not well between the Archenlanders and the visiting Telmarine ambassadors and nobility. On more than one occasion I overheard harsh words pass between a Terlmarine and a member of the King and Queen's court. I had already noted how arrogant the Telmarines acted, how they held their heads high. I actually saw one look at the food on the banquet table with disdain, before selecting a single piece of fruit, examining it and replacing it, apparently disgusted. Curiosity got the better of me and I wondered over to see what the fuss was about. To me, the fruit was perfect and many a hungry child would have got down on bended knee to simply taste it.

The most extravagantly dressed Telmarine was in a deep conversation with King Corin. You could tell by the looks on their faces that neither was enjoying this particular chat. Indeed, Prince Cor stood to his brother's side and I noticed his hand was lightly resting on the hilt of his sword.

And suddenly, the discussion became a loud argument.

"I do not need your permission, your Majesty! I merely ask for it to be courteous!"

King Corin took a determined step forward the room hushed, waiting to see how their King would respond. When Corin spoke, it was a threatening whisper that cut the silence like a knife.

"But, my Lord Helsar, indeed you do require my permission to take a large number of your men through my country in order to access Narnia. And I ask you once again, why is that you seek to enter Narnia?"

The Lord's hands were clenched at his sides, but he held his grounds. "We are merely curious of how Narnia is fairing."

King Corin shook his head. "Do not lie to me. I know what you seek. Do not think for a moment we will allow you to simply waltz in and take control!"

All around the room, Archenlanders were nodding while Telmarines were scowling. Already, the hall had seemingly been divided, each race taking a side and those who belonged to neither quietly seeking refuge in a corner.

"It is not your country!" Lord Helsar spat.

"Nor is it yours!" King Corin retorted. "It belongs to the Kings and Queens of Narnia and is being ruled by the Talking Beasts in their absence."

"Are you as foolish as you look?"

A gasp went up from the Archenlanders. There was the sound of metal on metal as Prince Cor and Prince Ram drew their swords. The Telmarine Lord took an unsteady step backward. "You dare?"

"My Lord it is you who dared address my brother in that manner," Prince Cor said quietly. "You have gone too far."

"Leave," King Corin finished, as if reading his twin brother's mind.

Lord Helsar began retreating, but continued to speaking as he went. "It been thirteen years and the Kings and Queens have not returned. They will never return!"

With that, the Lord Helsar swept from the room, followed by all of the Telmarine guests.

"Father," Prince Ram said. "Don't let his words get to you. You have told me many times that you knew the Kings and Queens personally and they would never abandon Narnia."

King Corin sighed. "No, but I believe for whatever reason they had no choice but to leave. That Telmarine dog is right though, and we can't keep pretending otherwise. King Peter, Queen Susan, King Edmund and Queen Lucy are never coming back."

Prince Cor sheathed his sword. "Then Narnia is in danger."

I had faint memories of visiting Narnia with Delilah. I could still see images, faint but real, of winding rivers, snow-capped mountains and a great castle on a cliff over-looking the sea. Narnia was beautiful and peaceful, and I had always known that one day I wanted to live there, amongst the Talking Beasts and the tree and water nymphs. I knew my real home was the Wild Lands of the North, but that was a barbaric, harsh area to which I could never truly return, so Narnia was the closest thing I had.

Queen Aravis came to my side and ordered me and all of the other ladies in the room to retire. I left, very unwillingly, but not before I saw King Corin nod in agreement with his brother's statement.

"Narnia is in grave danger."


End file.
